Lost and Found Series
by ficmuse
Summary: A year after Miranda, the crew of Serenity is struggling with change. River's developed an unsettling new interest, Simon is making plans and Inara comes to a crossroads. Rayne with a side of Simon & Kaylee and Mal & Inara.
1. No Shame In It

Title: No Shame In It  
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. All hail Joss, he of the big fancy ideas.

Pairings: Simon/Kaylee, Jayne/River  
Rating: R

Spoilers: post-BDM  
Notes: This is my very first Firefly fic; constructive feedback happily welcomed.

Kaylee sees sparks, red and blue and green. Best damn fireworks show in the 'verse, here in Simon's bed. Kaylee clenches her hands on Simon's shoulders, and her fingers slide on his sweaty skin. "Bao bay," he whispers in her ear, and shudders in her arms. She opens her eyes to see a slim white hand silently slide the door to the room shut. Anger rushes through Kaylee as Simon kisses her cheek and rolls off of her.

He smiles at her, his face flushed. "I'm so glad we got a few minutes to ourselves."

Kaylee leans forward and kisses him. "Me too, sweetie." She rolls out of the bed and pulls on her coveralls.

He grabs her hand. "Where are you going? Is something wrong?"

Kaylee moves her lips into a smile she doesn't feel. "I'm thirsty from all that messin' around, need a drink. I'll be back in a blink."

Simon's head flops back on the pillow, his eyes closing. "Don't be long."

"I won't be." Kaylee slides open the door and leaves the room, closing it behind her. She walks down the hallway, and makes her way through the ship to the mess. Jayne sits at one end of the kitchen table, with River at the opposite end, eating slices of apple. The mercenary looks up briefly when Kaylee steps into the room, and then his attention returns to the knife that he is sharpening. "River, I need a word," says Kaylee.

"Cerulean," River replies, and looks at Kaylee with a wide smile.

"I'm not playing with you," Kaylee says sharply. Her gaze shifts to Jayne, engrossed in his task."You know what you done. It ain't right," she says in a low voice.

"There's no shame in it. Sex is a biological imperative," says River.

Jayne's head jerks up, instantly alert. "Sex?"

Kaylee's cheeks flush red. "I'm not the one feeling shame. You should be. Sneaking around, watching people's private business. It's sinful, River."

"Sin is a religious construct based on superstition. My observations are purely scientific," River explains. "It's impartial and analytical."

"Simon and I are not gorram lab rats. We're people, one of us your own flesh and blood." Kaylee points a finger at her. "I'm warning you. You pull this go se again, I'm telling your brother." She slams open one of the metal cabinets, grabs a bottle of water, and leaves.

Jayne leans back in his chair. "Sounds to me like we got a peeping tom on board." He snorts. "Or a peeping Tam, actual like."

"I'm not peeping," River says slowly. "I'm studying."

"Watching your own brother rutting?" He shakes his head. "That's plain nasty."

"I'm not a pervert, I'm a scholar." River's hands twist in her skirt. "I watch so that I can understand."

"Don't have to watch your brother," Jayne says. "We got seven cortex screens on board. Pick any one of 'em and look at some skin shows."

"What's a skin show?" She looks at him, eyes wide, and he is reminded of how young she is.

"Nobody ever done explain to you about sex?" he asks. "Your ma never sat you down, had a talk with you?"

She frowns. "No need. Pistils, stamens, gametes, embryos- I know all the words, all the concepts."

Jayne shakes his head. "That's reproduction. Not the same thing, dong ma? I'm talking about screwing."

"Mother told me that we'd discuss it when I was older," she explained. "But I went to the Academy soon after. At the Academy, they focused on teaching-other things."

Like how to kill, Jayne thinks. How to be an ass-kicking, mind reading whirlwind of destruction.

River looks at him intently. "There's so much I know, that I shouldn't. And so much I should, that I don't." Her hands form into frustrated fists.

"You're just a little girl," he reminds her. "When you're grown, you'll figure it all out."

She makes a strangled noise of frustration. "I'm not a child! I'm an adult!" Her fist slams into the table, and the plate of apples jumps.

"Yeah, you're proving that real good with this here temper fit."

"I can pilot this ship, kill a man thirteen different ways without a weapon," she hisses. "I can hear what people think, the things in their heads that differ from the words they say."

"That don't make you grown," he says, as gently as he can. "That makes you creepy."

"I'm not ignorant! I know what sex sounds like. I know what people's thoughts look like, during. I can see the colors." Her fingers draw patterns in the air, waves and then fireworks. "But I don't understand the connection. Flesh sliding into flesh, becoming heat and sparks?" She shrugs. "I'm not used to feeling stupid. But I don't understand this."

Jayne blinks. "Well, you're innocent that way. Virgins don't know nothing about fucking, and they ain't supposed to know. Lot of men like it that way, too. Some favor a woman who's pure."

"That's medieval and ignorant," she proclaims. "A hymen's just a piece of flesh, no more and no less. Its significance is no greater than an appendix or an earlobe."

"That's where you're wrong," Jayne says. "That's where all your book learning got you exactly jack squat nothing."

"You don't know-"she begins.

"No, you're the one don't know a thing about how things work." Jayne gets up and sits next to her. He takes a slice of apple from her plate and bites into it with a crisp snap. "Look, back where I come from, there ain't nothing. Whole planet full of nothing, really. There's mines to work in and shacks to live in and that's about it. Back home, the only thing a young man wants to do is get hisself a virgin. Pleasing to the eye, that's nice and all; but virgin, that's important."

"That's absurd," River says flatly.

Jayne shrugs. "Maybe to you. You grew up in the Core, had it all handed to you. But when you've got nothing, little things are all you can hope for. Taking a woman for the first time, knowing nobody but you has ever kissed her, been inside her, that's special. That's something clean and bright in a mean dirty world."

River meets his eyes, looks deep within. "You loved her, your wife."

He looks away. "You stay out of my head, crazy, or I'll knock you down."

"I'm not in your head," River replies. "I can hear it in your voice. You're talking from your heart." She leans forward and presses her hand flat against his chest.

He slaps her hand away and glares at her. "I ain't got no heart. It's been dead and gone longer than you been alive."

The door to the mess opens, and Mal walks in, his jaw set. "I know that you're new at this job and all, River, but you're the damn pilot. You been prancing around my ship for near an hour now. Get your scrawny ass up to the bridge and fly my boat."

River jumps up out of her chair, and curtsies low before the captain, her long hair brushing the toe of his boot. "Sorry, got distracted by all the sex," she says clearly, and scoots out of the room.

Mal turns and looks at Jayne. "You wanna explain any of that?"

"Got nothin' to do with me. I'm sitting here minding my own business. Apple?" Jayne offers, holding out the plate.

"I don't pay you to mind your own business," the captain snaps. "I pay you to do mine. If you got nothing better to do, go scrub down the cargo bay, pretty it up before we land on Sihnon."

"Hwoon dahn," Jayne mutters under his breath. He throws down the plate and stomps out of the mess.

Mal helps himself to an apple slice. "Not worth finding out about," he tells himself, and takes a bite. "Ignorance is gorram bliss."

Translations

_Bao bay- sweetheart_

_Dong ma?- understand_

_Go se- crap_

_Hwoon dahn- bastard_


	2. Things Seen

For once, most things were going Mal's way. They'd done a nice high paying job, made the crew flush and happy. They were en route to Sihnon for another run that was completely legit, and offered a truly handsome purse at the end. Badger had given them a lead to someone who might know someone with intel about the Alliance's mind control experiments. The prospect of being flush with cash and digging up some dirt on the Alliance to boot had him feeling- well, downright cheerful.

A few little things still bothered him, like chiggers under his skin. Zoë wasn't entirely Zoë. She spoke when spoken to, did her job, but the spark in her eye was gone. She kept to her herself. The only outward form of grieving that she'd allowed was moving her things into Book's old room. Those quarters were for passengers, not crew, but Mal didn't blame her for not wanting to sleep in the bed she'd shared with her husband. He let it go, words unspoken.

Simon and Kaylee spent more time in the doctor's bed than Mal cared to think about. Not that he really wants to think on it at all, but if it starts affecting business, there is going to have to be a conversation. The doc smiles more these days, laughs even, and is just all around more of a human being. Kaylee glows, her happiness shining like a lantern. Most importantly, the ship keeps running and the doc keeps patching his crew up and that is enough for Mal.

—————————

Mal walks from the catwalk into the kitchen. His crew is gathered around the table, eating breakfast. Kaylee smiles at him. "I cooked the last of the eggs." She hands him a plate with two bona fide sunny side up eggs, a hunk of ham from an actual hog and a scoop of rice.

"Oh, that is shiny." Mal pats Kaylee's shoulder, and takes a quick glance around at the table. "Where's River?"

"I assume she's flying the ship, sir," Zoë says quietly.

Mal looks at the empty serving bowls on the table. "No one told her that we were eatin' up the last of the fresh fruit?"

Simon looks up. "I had some set aside..." His gaze lands on a bowl at Jayne's elbow.

Mal frowns at the mercenary. "You can't have those, Jayne. They're for the girl."

"I was here first," he says crankily, "and it's not like her name is written on 'em."

Mal reaches down and grabs the strawberries from Jayne's plate and adds them to River's bowl. "Well, now you get nothing, you selfish son of a bitch."

"That ain't fair," Jayne snaps.

"I'm the Captain, I don't have to be." Mal turns to Kaylee and hands her the fruit. "You keep him away from these and my plate too." She nods, and he heads towards the bridge. "You're missing some very nice grub," he says as he reaches the threshold.

River sits in the co-pilot's chair. Her eyes are fixed on the Cortex screen in front of her, which shows some lucky fellow getting a very thorough blowjob from a girl with long blonde hair. "What the hell!" he exclaims.

River turns around and gives him a sweet smile. "Hi."

"Turn off that crap right now!" he exclaims. River leans forwards and the Cortex screen turns a glowing clear blue. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm learning," she says earnestly.

"Little girl like you ain't got no business watching _le se_ like that," he spits.

Her hands form into angry fists. "I'm not a little girl!" she yells, her brow furrowing. "I'm sick of people saying that!"

"You're only eighteen!" Mal's hand slaps the back of her chair and she jumps. "You're still a gorramn baby!"

She glares up at him. "You're not my father, or my brother. You have no power over me."

"I am your Captain," he answers curtly. "I am father and brother and Buddha, as far as you're concerned."

River frowns. "I don't understand why you're so angry. You're being completely irrational. Sex-"

"_Bì zuî!_" Mal snaps. "A child…"

She glares at him, her eyes sharp. He thinks of dead men, dead Reavers. "A young lady like yourself has no reason to be watching that _gou pi_ from the Cortex."

"I want to understand," she explains, her voice calm. "I need to know what happens between a man and a woman in bed. And the Cortex has all these vids-"

"I know what you can find on the Cortex," Mal interrupts. "Where did you get this crackbrained idea to look at skin shows?"

River blinks. "Well. Jayne suggested..."

A vein throbs on Mal's temple. He grabs the shipboard intercom and hollers angrily into it. "Jayne, get your gorramn ass up to the bridge!"

"You don't need to be angry," says River.

"Maybe I don't need to be, but I sure as hell am," snaps Mal.

Jayne appears in the doorway, gun in his hands. "What's wrong?" His eyes search the cockpit, looking for a threat.

"Did you tell River to watch skin shows on the Cortex?" asks Mal.

"I didn't tell her to do nuthin'," the mercenary responds, tucking his gun into the holster at his waist.

"It was a suggestion," River explains. "Not a command. He was being very helpful." The girl smiles at Jayne.

"Jayne, you'd best explain yourself," Mal says angrily.

Jayne shrugs. "Figured it was better than the _fong luh_ girl watching the doc and Kaylee get it on."

Mal's eyes widen. "Whatta- what?"

"She's been peeping," the mercenary explains. "Watching her brother screw his girl." He shakes his head. "Figured the skin shows were better'n that. Sure as hell piss off Kaylee less, and it's not as creepifying."

Mal turns on his heel, facing River. "Why? Why would you do such a thing?"

River raises her chin. "I'll never make a match, now. They stole so many things from me, they stole sanity and words and years." Her eyes shine with unshed tears. "Most of all, they stole love, when they made me their tool, their sword, their bullet. I've broken out of their machinery, but I'm still just a cog. I'm all alone." She begins to cry, her hands covering her face.

"I'll get the doc," Jayne grumbles. "She needs a smoother or sumthin'."

"No need," Mal says. "Just…go back and eat your breakfast."

"Can I have your eggs?" Jayne asks hopefully.

"Just get the hell out!" barks Mal.

As the mercenary leaves, Mal pulls the crying girl forward and holds her in his arms. "Shh, little one," he says quietly, patting her back. "It's all gonna be okay."

"I'm a woman of intelligence and breeding," she says softly. "I'm full of grace."

"I know you are," he assures her. "We all see the beauty in you, River."

Tears spill down her face as she meets his eyes. "No man will ever want me. I'm stained, tainted beyond taking by the gods of war."

His hands tighten around her. "No, sweetheart, no. You're a pure, sweet, innocent girl."

"I'm covered in blood," she whispers.

"Shh." Mal brushes her hair away from her face. "Hush, now."

**-TBC-**

Translations  
_Fong luh- crazy  
Gou pi- bullshit  
bì zuî- be quiet/shut up  
le se- garbage_


	3. What They Lost

Simon had never expected to lead an exciting life. From very early on, he was driven to become a doctor. He wanted to help people, heal their wounds, and restore them to those who loved them. His choices delineated a path that he'd always intended to follow: schooling, internship, residency, and then rapid advancement to the top of his field.

Once Simon had reached that pinnacle it would be time to make a match. His social position made that process equally clear-cut. His parents would expect his bride to come from the cream of Osiris society. When it came time to court, it would be either Marisol Chan, the daughter of Mother's bosom friend, or Torryn Elders, the only child of Father's business partner. Both women were lovely, impeccably reared, and would be a credit to his house. In Simon's mind, that aspect of his future was set. He'd bent his head to the task at hand and buried himself deep in being the best trauma surgeon on the planet.

When River's letter came, the life he'd always imagined was lost to him. The path before him was clouded and unclear; the only goal was to save his sister's life. He did what was necessary, regardless of the cost. For River, he sacrificed his future. There would be no professional accolades and there would be no delicate bride. For sake of his sister's love, he forfeited love in all its other forms. That, he resigned himself, was the price he had to pay.

But Kaylee had other ideas. She blazed into his life all smiles and joy, bringing light into the empty places inside him. She possessed poor breeding, very little manners, and a bare modicum of tact. This girl was no ornament; she sweated and cursed and guffawed. She was the antithesis of everything he had been taught to want in a wife. Perhaps that was why he fell in love with her. His feelings for her were raw, primal even, and she returned them. It was exhilarating, and he never wanted it to end. 

Simon pulled a shiny black lacquer box from under his bed. He pushed the red, raised characters on its lid in sequence, and a quiet chime sounded as it popped open. He counted the stack of money that lay inside, and smiled. It was enough, now, to ask the question that had been on his mind. It was time for Simon Tam to take his bride.

—————————  
"Have to say, I'm surprised to see this room so tumbled about." Simon turned to see the Captain leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. Mal gestured at the boxes that were scattered around the perimeter of the infirmary.

"We have so many medical supplies now, I can't store them all," Simon explained. "I'll need to buy another storage cabinet when we arrive on Sihnon."

"It's a far cry from the way things used to be," said Mal. "This sort of bounty wasn't in our grasp. Well stocked infirmary, fresh fare on the table, ship in good repair, credits lining everyone's pocket." He walked into the room and picked up a dermal mender off the counter, rolling it between his hands. "Everyone's life has gotten a mite more comfortable. It's what I've always wanted for my crew."

"I can't say that I miss eating textured protein three times a day," Simon replied.

Mal raised his eyebrows. "'Course, you didn't have to suffer through that hardship for long. Not like those of us born lower on the social scale then your fine self."

"I can't apologize for events beyond my control," Simon said icily. "And my lofty origins just gave me farther to fall."

"And now you're out here in the black with the likes of us." Mal set down the dermal mender and picked up a laser saw. "I bet you thought that after you saved River, your ma and pa would let bygones be bygones. Welcome home their prodigal son with open arms."

Simon's mouth tightened. "My father made it very clear to me that if I dishonored the family, there would be no going back."

"But you dreamed he would, didn't ya? You hoped that when push came to shove, they'd thank you for saving your baby sister. Give you a hero's welcome, and you could go back to your life. Put you back up on that high horse that bucked you."

"The only reward that I ever hoped for was the safe return of my sister," Simon said stiffly.

"Well, mission accomplished, doc. River is safe and sound. She flies this boat like she was born to it. The girl's an asset to this crew. Jobs get done, quick and clean, and some of them we never could have pulled without her. Our rep's good as gold these days, and your sister's to thank for it." Mal set down the saw.

"I'm so glad that my sister's life of crime pleases you," Simon retorted drily. "Really, it makes everything we went through worthwhile."

"River's not leading a life of crime no more," Mal responded. "None of us are. We've got legit work coming in, paying better than anything we've ever been offered before. It's shiny, and I'm not going to allow my crew to go back to living hand to mouth because your head's up your _pigu_."

Simon's eyes widened. "What?"

"You heard me. You barely say a word to River, day after day. You don't need to dose the girl with meds or deal with her fits. You ignore her," Mal looked the younger man in the eye, not teasing.

"I spend time with her every day," Simon argued.

"You sit across from her at dinner for half an hour. Soon as the first plate is cleared, you and Kaylee scurry off to scurry off to your bunk or hers," Mal replied, an edge in his voice. "You were the only person in this 'verse River had to turn to. Now she has no one, since you're too caught up in courting my mechanic to give your sister a thought."

Simon flushed. "That's not true!"

"The girl's been through hell! Her mind is running through all the things she did when she was muddled, and all the things that were done to her to make her that way. She is drowning in pain, and she's about ready to go under." 

Simon leaned back as if slapped. "But…River never told me. She never said a word."

"She knows gorramn well what you gave up to save her. She's a Reader; you don't hafta spell it out for her. River doesn't want to burden you any more than she already has. If it wasn't for her, you'd be living the life of Riley back on your clean, pretty Core planet."

"I don't blame her," Simon protested. "I blame the bastards that stole her from us and used her as their rutting test subject!"

"Then why don't you spend time with her any more? Why are you avoiding her?"

Simon looked away for a moment, and then met Mal's gaze. "I'm in love. I fell in love, and I want to spend every second I can with the woman who is dearest to me. Can you understand that?"

"I do," Mal said gravely. "But you can't ignore your responsibilities. Your obligations should come before your personal needs."

"Mal, River is a grown woman with her own life to live. She doesn't need me to hold her hand anymore. Wherever her journey takes her now, I know she is strong enough to handle it."

"But she still needs you," Mal argued. "She's just a kid and she needs someone to talk to about…" He paused. "Adult…things."

"Believe me, she's no longer a child." Simon lifted his chin. "I know that River's taken an interest in sex. It's normal and healthy for her to do so. If she has questions, she'll discover the answers. That's her nature."

Mal frowned. "So, you're not bothered by it?"

Simon sighed. "Well, I can't help but be bothered. But my sister can sense lies hiding under truth and feel trouble brewing well before it arrives." He smiled. "I'd say that gives her an advantage over any of us, when it comes to matters of the heart."

—————————

River stood in the doorway to Inara's shuttle. "Hello?"

Inara walked towards her, smiling. "Come inside, _mei mei_." She took one of the girl's hands and led her to a low table, set with a tea service.

River sat and looked around, taking in the swaths of red and gold that decorated the shuttle. "It's so beautiful in here."

"I'm glad that you find it so," the Companion replied. She poured tea into two small cups. "Do you like it sweet?"

"One cube, please." River took the cup from Inara. "_Xie xie_."

"You're welcome." Inara leaned back in her seat. "River, do you know why I asked you to join me here?"

"The Captain asked you to."

"Well, yes." Inara sipped her tea. "Mal feels that as a Companion, I can answer some of the questions you have. About sex, perhaps love?"

River met Inara's eyes. "When a man takes you to his bed, do you feel less lonely?"

"If you feel lonely to begin with, you will feel lonely again when the lovemaking is over," Inara explained. "Sex is not a cure, or a solution. It's just a moment in time for the pursuit of pleasure and attaining release."

"I think that a moment would be enough." River tilted her head to one side, contemplating. "A moment with him would be everything."

"Is there a specific "him", or are we speaking generally?" Inara smiled and waited for a response, but River doesn't answer. The Companion tried again. "Do you feel lonely, River? Is that why your thoughts have moved to those of union with another?"

"I want him to think of me with want and need and desire. My body yearns to spark with his. We could talk in the night and hold each other as we sleep." River closed her eyes for a moment, and then smiled. "I would like to learn his secrets."

"It's easy to find a man who'll give you a tumble between the sheets. Finding someone to love you, to accept who you are, and open up to you, is entirely different." Inara furrowed her brow. "You understand that they are not the same? That desire and want are not love?"

"I don't hope for love. No man will ever love me," River said flatly. "No one could."

"River, don't be silly. " Inara frowned. "You're a lovely, brilliant woman. Any man would be lucky to win your heart."

River took a deep breath. "My own father doesn't love me. He cast aside me and Simon as embarrassments. We were the jewels of his house, once, and now we are less than nothing to him. No man would make a match with someone without a dowry, without connections." She looked at the Companion. "I know the customs of courtship and marriage, Inara. Our societal constructs are extremely rigid."

Inara leaned forwards and stroked River's hand. "Your father is a _hwun dahn_. That doesn't mean that you can't find love on your own terms. Not every man wants wealth and standing from marriage. Some just want love, and a family of their own."

River nodded in agreement. "True. However, even if you disregard the lack of family standing and dowry there are other difficulties. I can hear people's private thoughts and I'm very proficient at harming people. I don't believe those are desirable qualities in a wife."

Inara stilled. "River, what was done to you at the Academy was not your fault. The damage you inflicted, the lives you took were not by your own choice. Your past doesn't define who you are."

"But I embrace violence without hesitation. To save any of us, I would kill." River set down her cup and folded her hands in her lap. "And I know I'll have to again."

"You can leave this life, River," Inara explained. "You can make your home anywhere in the system, find a husband, raise children. You are not bound here. There are more comfortable ways to live."

"I am bound," River said softly. "The only love I know is on this ship."

"Then perhaps you need to look outside of it," the Companion suggested.

River met Inara's eyes. "Everything I want is right here."

-TBC-

Translations

_Hwun dahn- bastard  
Mei mei- little sister  
Pigu- ass  
Xie xie- thank you_


	4. All That Glisters

_All that glisters is not gold._  
Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice (Act II, Scene VII)

The curtain of clouds fell away, and the Great City was revealed beneath them. "It's so beautiful." River eased the yoke forward, and _Serenity_ began its descent.

"Of course it's beautiful, it's a Core planet," Mal muttered. "Anything ain't prettifying, they ship it off world." He leaned forward and hit a button on the console. "Merchant vessel, Firefly class, _Serenity_, Captain Malcolm Reynolds requesting permission to land."

An instant later a cultured voice responded. "Permission granted, Captain, in Berth 14 Gamma. Welcome to Sihnon, and may your commercial endeavors be most successful."

"I hate Core planets. All that polite talk bothers me." Mal rubbed his brow. "I'm tempted to lock down the ship, not let anyone off doesn't have to."

"You'd have mutiny on your hands," River pointed out. "You promised us a day off when the job is done." She guided the ship deftly through the delicate spires of the city, and into the docking bay. The ship landed with a gentle thud.

"Nice landing," Mal said. "Not like that one on Beylix."

"I paid for the repairs," River reminded him.

"But when I think about the impact, I can still feel it in my back teeth." Mal pointed at his jaw.

River looked over at him, her eyebrow raised. "Don't blame my flying for your rapid descent into old age."

"Found my first grey hair the day you crashed my boat," Mal retorted. "Ain't no coincidence."

"I didn't crash her," River replied. "I simply failed to accurately calculate the angle of descent."

"Yeah, that's just fancy talk for 'I fucked up'," and we both know it." Mal pulled down the ship's intercom. "Welcome to the world, folks. All hands report to the cargo bay." He stood from the pilot's chair and walked off the bridge and down the walkway.

A Cortex screen flared into life on the console, revealing a young woman wearing a burgundy veil. "Priestess Gladia Terris of House Madrassa requests to speak with Companion Inara Serra."

River leaned forward and pressed a button below the screen. "Inara, you have a wave from your House."

A hiss of static pealed from the speaker before the Companion's voice responded. "Send it down, please."

River forwarded the wave and rushed down the hallway and into the cargo bay. Kaylee sat on a crate, swinging her feet. Jayne adjusted the holster strapped across his chest. "You ain't dressed yet? We got work to do."

"I was busy flying," River reminded him.

"You sure?" Jayne smirked at her. "I can usually tell when you're the one landing us, 'cause there's damage to fix up after." River threw up her hand in an obscene gesture. "You wish, darlin'," he responded with a smirk.

River walked up the walkway and into the passenger quarters. Simon burst out of his room, wrestling with his tie. "_T__ā māde_!"

River batted his hands away from his neck. "Just calm down and let me help."

"I'm calm." Simon took a deep breath. "I'm serene."

River straightened his tie and smiled up at her brother. "Relax. You know she's going to accept your proposal."

Simon hissed through his teeth. "River! You know better than to read people's private thoughts."

"Unless we're getting paid for it," she clarified.

"No one's paying you to read me." Simon adjusted the cuffs on his shirt.

"No one's telling you to shout your thoughts that way either. Deaf people can hear what's on your mind today."

"River and Simon Tam, get your sorry asses to the cargo bay before I boot you off my crew!" Mal's voice boomed through the intercom.

The siblings shared a look. Simon hurried toward the cargo bay while River ducked into her room. She threw on the long black dress she wore for Readings, and then rushed down the hallway. Halfway there she stopped and turned back. In her room again, she pulled on stockings and stepped into tall black heels, and ran as fast as she could to the cargo bay.

Mal stood, hands on hips. "Where's your veil at? Can't do a Reading without it. You know that."

River's hands patted her hair. "Oh no!"

Jayne pulled a long swathe of black netting from his pocket. "Looky what I found lying around."

"Give it back!" River lunged forward, trying to grab it, and he held it far over his head, out of her reach.

"Say pretty please," Jayne commanded.

"Aw, Jayne, don't be mean," Kaylee protested.

"She shouldn't have let him get a hold of it in the first place," Zoë pointed out.

"Enough! We got no time for games." Mal plucked the veil from Jayne's hands and gave it to River. "You all got work needs doing planetside." He turned to Kaylee. "You're doing the supply run, and then I want you to go up to the Chef's guild and see who's looking for work. Any of them seem likely, arrange for them to meet with me tomorrow."

"Get someone who can make protein taste like something other than protein," Zoë suggested.

"Get someone who's friendly," River asked.

"Get a woman." Jayne smiled widely. "Blonde, with _bo ba_." He cupped his hands far in front of his chest.

Mal sighed. "So, Kaylee, find me a mute eunuch magician."

Kaylee laughed. "I'll do my best."

"River, your appointment is uptown in Aerie Heights. You're set for tea at two with Lady Geneva Sweetson. I don't expect it to take too long; it's just a Finding."

River looked disappointed. "I thought we weren't taking anymore Findings. You promised me after I found that emerald necklace on Bellerephon."

"She's paying us four hundred platinum," Mal replied. "For that kind of coin, you can find her little Fluffy."

"I'm looking for a misplaced feline?" River asked incredulously.

"You arguing with me?" Mal asked.

River frowned. "No."

Inara walked out of her shuttle and onto the walkway, her head bowed. She hesitated, standing in place.

River walked to Jayne's side and put her hand on his arm. The mercenary looked down at her, his brow furrowed. "What's the matter?" he asked in a low voice.

"Something's wrong," River whispered.

The Companion walked down the steps and stood in front of the Captain. Mal looked up. "I thought you woulda rushed off by now to the manly arms of your latest beau."

"My House Priestess cancelled the contract with my client and summoned me to the Guild House," Inara explained. "I'm to report to her immediately."

Mal frowned. "That doesn't sound right."

"No, it means something is very wrong." Inara's hands are clasped together tightly.

"What do you need me to do?" Mal asked.

"I don't know," she confessed. "I just know that I'm- worried."

Mal crooked a finger at River, and she walked over to him. "Nara's got a bad feeling. Can you tell us any more about it?"

River closed her eyes, hesitating for a moment. "There's anger, and consequences, and broken rules." She frowned. "And there's something about me, too."

Mal and Inara share a look. "Alright, we've got a change of plan," Mal announced. "Simon, you're taking River on the Reading job. Jayne will go with you, Zoë. Kaylee, you stay with the ship."

"Sir, this meeting requires a little more finesse that Jayne is capable of," Zoë replied.

"I have finesse," Jayne argued. Zoë snorted with laughter, and the mercenary glared at her. "But I got to be the one on the job with the girl. The doc doesn't know the routine, all those little things she does with her hands and the like. We've been doing it nigh on a year; there's no need to mess with something that ain't broke."

"I need you elsewhere, Jayne," Mal replied. "Simon filled in for you on the Latwick job when you were sick from those pickled eggs. The job went smooth."

Jayne made a face. "Oh, those eggs."

"Alright, you all get gone and get your jobs done." Mal hit the switch and the hatch lowered, revealing the swirling chaos of Great City life that whirled just past the doors of the landing bay. "Stay out of trouble."

-TBC-

Translations

Bo ba- big tits

tā māde- damn


	5. Sightseeing

The Great City was the flower of the planet of Sihnon. The cityscape was a mélange of soaring marble arches, pools of clear blue water, and majestic trees, branches towering high in the air. Every building looked as grand as a cathedral, every citizen exuded prosperity, and there was not a speck of dirt to be seen from Dockside to Aerie Heights.

The garden of House Madrassa was heady with the scent of roses. The rosebushes were arranged in neat rows alongside a path paved with loose small stones. Mal's footsteps crunched as he followed Inara down the path. Inara turned the corner and they entered in a small courtyard. Two curved marble benches stood on either side of a pair of tall bronze doors, decorated with images of flowing water.

"You should wait for me, here." Inara gestured at a bench, and her hand trembled.

Mal took her hand in his. "Inara, if you're walking into a fight, I want to be at your back."

Inara shook her head. "Just stay here. " Her fingers clutched at Mal's, tightly. She met his eyes, and he saw the anguish within. "Please."

—————————

The carillon at the gate of the Great Temple tolled. Birds, startled by the noise, flew into the air. Jayne watched them fly away. "Those are some fat birds. You could make a good pie out of 'em."

Zoë laughed. "Pull out your piece and shoot one, you're looking at twenty years in an Alliance cell."

"For shootin' a bird?" Jayne raised his eyebrows. "You're pulling my leg, aren't ya?"

Zoë's mouth turned up at one corner. "We're in sacred space," she explained. "It would be blasphemy to shed blood here. And blasphemy and treason go hand in hand on Sihnon."

A group of men and women walked by, proudly wearing the yellow armband that declared their pilgrimage. A young girl walked with them, carefully balancing a paper pagoda made of intricately folded currency on a wooden tray.

"Gorramn," Jayne muttered, his eyes fixed on the money. "Must be fifty thousand there." He stood up and followed the group to the Temple doorway.

Jayne stuck his head inside. He peered through the thick curtain of burning incense, his eyes watering. A large golden Statue sat in the back, surrounded by tables laden with offerings. Pilgrims had brought fresh flowers, platters of food and money. Easily a dozen separate tables were covered in gold coin, stacks of paper money, and even bars of platinum. A chortle of delight escaped Jayne's mouth and he rubbed his hands together.

A firm hand closed around his shoulder and marched him back to the bench. "Don't even think about it," Zoë said in a low voice.

"People leave money lying around; it's stupid to expect them not to take it."

"They're religious offerings, Jayne. Again, that would be blasphemy." Zoë pointed at the bell tower and the drum tower that were on opposite sides of the courtyard. "Local government is watching every move that's made down here. You lay a finger on that money; you're going to come up a digit short."

"Ruttin' tightass world." Jayne sighed. "How much longer we got to wait? It's thirty minutes past the time Badger's guy was supposed to show."

"We'll wait until he shows up," Zoë replied. "Captain needs us to nail down this job."

—————————

Geneva Sweetson was so old that she looked as if she might crumble into dust any minute. Her parlor was filled to overflowing with massive furniture, bric-a-brac, lacquered screens and jade Buddha's. She set down her tea cup on a mahogany table that was nearly entirely covered with ceramic statues of cats.

"Do you really think that you can find my Fluffy?" the old woman asked. Her lower lip trembled, her eyes damp with tears. "She's been missing for a week and I'm so worried."

"It would be our pleasure to do so," Simons reassured her.

Lady Sweetson nodded. "My friend Lady Mayfair, you found her husband's will for her?"

"I remember," Simon replied. He glanced at River, her face completely concealed by her veil. He looked down at her lap, her fingers moving rapidly in a pattern. "Three- no, four months ago." His sister's thumbs touched together quickly, in an L. "On Londinium."

The client nodded. "Lily assured me that you were not frauds, that she is a truly gifted Reader."

"We are both willing and able to assist you with this matter, Lady Sweetson."

She met Simon's eyes, her face sad. "What do I need to do?"

"Think of Fluffy," Simon said. "Close your eyes. Think of when she first came into your life, how it felt to have her company."

Lady Sweetson closed her eyes. Simon turned to his sister. She held up one long, white finger. River listened to the lady's thoughts, and a tune chimed in her mind; a silver song with lilting flutes and soft, sweet bells.

—————————

Mal sat on the bench in the courtyard, head bowed. Inara had needed him to come. She hadn't asked; she hadn't had to. She was shook up something fierce and that was unlike her. But she hadn't wanted him to walk into House Madrassa with her; she'd told him to wait outside the door. He always had to wait for her permission to enter. Mal was always waiting for her to make her move. And where had that got either one of them?

Ma swung open the doors and stepped inside the House. The sound of his steps was muffled by a plush carpet, swirled with black and red in an intricate pattern. He followed the sound of a raised voice. A familiar one, but he couldn't quite place it.

He turned down a hallway that was lit with a series of low hanging lamps. An antechamber to one side was filled with long black net veils and flowing burgundy cloaks. Mal draped a veil over his head, threw a cloak on, and continued down the hall. A set of tall wooden doors was ajar. Mal leaned forward and looked through the crack.

Inara knelt at the foot of a stairs that led to a long dais, her hands bound behind her. A Companion in the traditional black and gold veil stood at her side. On the platform, aligned in a row, were three ornately carved wooden chairs. One of them held a young girl veiled in burgundy, next to her a slim woman in black with long platinum hair, and the last an elderly matron, veiled in funereal white.

"Has House Madrassa so little respect for the laws of the Guild, that it embraces a poisonous serpent in its bosom?" The Companion next to Inara turned her head to look down at her. Saffron's mouth curled into a smug smile. Mal's jaw dropped.

—————————

The sound of bells filled the Temple courtyard. Jayne glared up at the tower. "Another half hour wasted."

Zoë frowned. "He's a full two hours late. We've never had this late a drop from Badger."

A crowd of schoolchildren marched by, dressed in identical uniforms. Jayne bought a box of rice candy from a vendor and munched as they waited.

"Excuse me," asked a cultured voice. Zoë looked up into a pair of wide blue eyes, covered by spectacles. "Do you know where I can find the shrine of Guan Yin?"

"I'm afraid you're on the wrong side of the city," Zoë replied. "The Lotus Shrine is in Aerie Heights, near the University."

The man bowed, his black silk jacket swinging forward. "Xie xie." A small blue ball fell from his sleeve onto the ground. He hurried away, and Zoë leaned forward and retrieved it.

"Looks like we made the drop after all," she said, tucking the ball into her pocket, and rose to her feet.

Two soldiers in wooden armor rounded the topiaries in front of them, and stood before Zoë and Jayne. "Sir? You need to come with us," instructed the shorter trooper, a woman.

"Me?" Jayne asked, pointing at himself.

She ignored him. "Sir, you are bound by law for violating Codex 237, Section 43, Part 7, Item 58 of the Code of law of the Great City." Plastic cuffs were closed around Jayne's hands.

"What about her?" Jayne asked, tilting his head at Zoë. His voice rose, and people turned to see what was happening "What about-"The female trooper jabbed him in the neck with a hypo and Jayne sagged. The troopers dangled the unconscious mercenary between them.

The male trooper handed Zoë a plastic card, with tiny text scrolling across it. "Your friend may be retrieved at Seaway Station, Jade District. Please allow three hours for processing. Fines may be paid in credits or currency only. You may bring your own barrister." The trooper pointed out the reverse of the card. "We provide this list of names for reference only. Thank you for visiting the Great City, jewel of Sihnon."

The troopers dragged Jayne away, his boots dragging in the dust. Zoë watched him go, and sighed. "Finesse, my ass." She bent and picked up Jayne's discarded candy box from the ground. "The Captain's going to love this."

————————

Simon leaned forward in his chair, his eyes intent. "Think of the softness of her fur, my lady. What color is she?"

"White," she replied, her voice soft.

"Think of her in repose," Simon suggested. "In your mind's eye, see your kitten as she sleeps."

The silver song filled River's mind like an orchestra. She slipped from the room, following the melody. It played louder as she walked down the hallway towards the bedrooms, but grew faint as she entered the master bedroom. She pivoted to walk back down the hallway, creeping slowly from door to door. In the last one on the corridor, the song soared to life.

She opened the door to a bedchamber. This was the room of a young girl. Disks for the vid console lay on the patterned silk bedspread. River read the titles: A Ball of Yarn, Parliament of the Worlds, The Smallest Dancer. A reel played in River's head, shining and merry, pure pleasure. She took a moment to spin around the room, enjoying the song. Her veil whipped and spun around her knees. Lindel, River thought. The girl was Lindel; her cat was Fluffy.

She followed the song to a tall enameled armoire. Holographic images of dancers whirled across its surface, a dress ball that would never end. An ornate golden key was in the lock, a red tassel hanging from it. River turned the key. Very small clothes of fine make hung within, real silk with embroidery of gold and platinum. She leaned forward and picked up a wooden chest from the bottom of the closet. The song roared in her head, painfully. She lifted the delicately lid, and curled inside, on a bed of blue velvet, slept the kitten. Her chest rose in small puffs and an ear twitched.

"You're found," River whispered to the cat. She frowned, her fingers stroking the cat's ear. "But you weren't the one who was lost, were you?" She picked up the cat in her arms and headed down the hallway. Just outside the parlor door, River froze in place. Her arms tightened, and the cat mewled softly. "Jayne?"

-TBC-


End file.
